Understanding J-1 visa denials

I founf this on Go Au Pair website, and since I have been recieving so many questions about especific au pairs’ nationalites, maybe this can help the families to understand a little more. The U.S. Department of State recently waived certain regulations for Libyans in America using J-1 visas due to the current political turmoil in Libya. Many Libyans have lost partial or complete funding from their home country. Although Libya is not one of the 60 … Read More

via goAUPAIR Sacramento Au Pairs and Host Families

Celebrating America’s Independence Day

It goes unsaid that the 4th of July is one of the most important national holidays in the USA.  It is our country’s birthday of course.  The day we declared our independence from the Great Britain. Of course in typical American style we celebrate it with backyard BBQ, town festivals and FIREWORKS. This is a great opportunity to share with your au pair just how our country was founded.  How our Founding Father wrote down their grievances and sent … Read More

via Go Au Pair Northern Chicago Suburbs and Southeastern Wisconsin

Father’s Day Poster

I came across this idea for Father’s Day a few weeks ago; a candy bar poster.  It’s easy and I know my kids will have a blast making it for their dad.  Au pairs can easily customize this for the dads in their families with the kids help.  All you need is a poster board, pens/markers and candy bars.  Here are some ideas for what to write. I know it’s not PAYDAY, but it’s Father’s Day and Dad you are worth $100GRAND to us.  You are better than a tr … Read More

via goAUPAIR Phoenix Au Pairs and Host Families

Available Au Pairs

In June we are pleased to feature our Au Pairs from Panama General Attitudes:  Panamanians are used to visitors from around the world creating an atmosphere of tolerance and harmony among the people. Panama and the United States have had a long relationship, better known for the construction of the world famous Panama Canal which opened in 1913. Panama is very Americanized, with many American television programs and the cultural traces lefts by t … Read More

via goAUPAIR Sacramento Au Pairs and Host Families

Why are we celebrating Memorial Day?

While many American families and their Au Pair will mark Memorial Day this weekend with outdoor barbecues as the first celebration of summer, few may know the history of the holiday. This special day has roots stretching back more than 140 years to the Civil War. The very first Memorial Day commemoration was proclaimed on May 5, 1868. An U.S. Army general ordered flowers laid on the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers at the newly estab … Read More

via goAUPAIR Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon, PA and suburbs

Manners Every Kid Should Know

I was at a friend’s house the other day when her 3 year old daughter bumped into me.  “Excuse me”, she said.  I immediately thought to myself, “Would my 3 year old say that?”  Honestly, I’m not really sure.  It seems like we work on manners a lot, but it takes them a long time to “get it”.  I found an article on the top 25 manners every kid should know before the age of nine.  It’s a great reminder for parents and au pairs to make sure their char … Read More

via goAUPAIR Phoenix Au Pairs and Host Families

The best proof of the quality of au pair childcare

From an Au Pair mom The best proof of the quality of aupair childcare is success of the au pair program in your local community. To help address my concerns about au pairs as childcare providers for babies and toddlers, my local au pair agency coordinator gave me a phone number of a mother with children of similar ages to mine, who was successfully hosting au pairs. Talking to her, asking her questions, helped me witness the success of the au pai … Read More

via Go Au Pair Philadelphia, Bucks & Montgomery Counties and parts of NJ

Drowning Prevention

SRP and The Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona have put together and printed a Drowning Prevention flyer and I would like to share this information with Go Au Pair  au pairs and host families because child drownings are the top cause of preventable death for Arizona children.

Most drownings involve kids between 2 & 5, and occur in a backyard pool.

Just three basic steps can save the life of a child today:

BLOCK access to swimming pools with Layers of Protection. The best barrier is a pool fence. Add childproof locks and chimes on doors leading to the backyard. Never prop open a gate, and make sure that children cannot climb furniture or trees to get into the pool area.

WATCH children closely when they have access to the water.  More than two thirds of children who drown in Arizona were not expected to be near the pool. When swimming with children, stay close enough to touch them if they need assistance. Make sure you have a designated adult to watch children when they swim, especially at large gatherings.

LEARN  what to do in an emergency. If a child is missing, check the pool first. Keep your CPR skills sharp by refreshing them once a year, and teach children how to swim at the appropriate age.

Even when children can swim like fish, it’s essential to continue to block access to water. Entry for any family member into water should only be allowed with direct supervision, because a drowning can happen to anyone at any time.

Want to learn more about child drownings, or get involved in the effort to keep children safe in your community? Check out the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona’s website at www.preventdrownings.org .

Au Pairs for your Live-in Childcare at Short Notice

School is over and done with in the month of June for most parts of the country! Do you have everything organized to cover the extra child care your children need? If you feel that you need child care at very short notice, there are Au Pairs already in the country, who for one reason or another need to switch families, which can be arranged within a week or two. My agency, Go Au Pair names them Transition Au Pairs [caption id=”attachment_98″ alig … Read More

via goAUPAIR Boston Au pairs and Host Families

Thinking About International Adoption?

Many families who are adopting a child from another country are turning to the au pair program for more reasons than just childcare.  Although their initial need is childcare, they choose to go the au pair route because it provides them with a person who can help them understand their new child’s culture, language, and country.  I’ve seen several families take their au pair with them to pick up their baby.  This provides the family with a person … Read More

via goAUPAIR Midwest Region